Out On These Streets - episode 1

The first episode introduces listeners to the creators behind Walk Tours NZ – Gareth Watkins and Roger Smith – and lays the foundation for how their Rainbow Walk Tours in Wellington began and evolved. It’s the first in a four-part series that unpacks the making of queer walk tours, from initial ideas to practical delivery, with a strong focus on community, storytelling, and inclusion.

The episode begins by establishing the voices behind the project. Gareth and Roger have been co-leading Rainbow Walk Tours around Wellington since 2017. What began as a one-off event during the city’s Pride Festival has since developed into a monthly community event, with over 100 free tours delivered over the years. Their tours celebrate takatāpui and broader rainbow histories in Aotearoa and are shaped by a deep respect for place, people, and experience.

This first episode focuses on why they do what they do. The hosts describe walk tours as deeply fulfilling: they create community, build connection, and bring history alive in the spaces where it happened. Being physically present in places where important events occurred offers a layer of resonance and emotional impact that reading alone can’t provide. Gareth notes that even when the details fade, the feeling of being with others on a walk endures as a powerful memory.

The duo trace their inspiration back to early LGBTQIA+ walk tours run by Dr Alison Laurie and Hugh Young in Wellington in the 1990s and 2000s, as well as to walking experiences overseas in Europe and the United States. Seeing no similar offering during Pride 2017, they decided to give it a go themselves—despite limited public-speaking experience—and were buoyed by the overwhelmingly positive response to their first event. Since then, they’ve committed to running monthly walk tours and have developed seven or eight different themed routes across the central city.

Much of the episode is devoted to offering practical advice for others looking to create similar tours. A key point is to begin with the "experience" you want to create. This includes being clear on your ideal group size—small, medium, or large—and understanding the implications of each. Smaller groups can be challenging for both the participants and hosts, while larger groups require strong engagement skills and thoughtful crowd management.

They also share the formula that works for them: 90-minute tours with around 8 stops, each allowing about five minutes of storytelling. Gareth and Roger emphasise the importance of pacing—both in terms of physical walking and narrative flow—and suggest planning for the fact that larger groups will naturally move more slowly between stops.

Another key consideration is the route itself. The physical space needs to accommodate clusters of people without obstructing public areas. Accessibility is central: paths, inclines, and surface conditions should be clearly communicated beforehand, and the needs of people with prams, wheelchairs, or sensory sensitivities must be taken into account.

The hosts also stress the emotional dimensions of participating in a rainbow-themed event in public. For some people, attending a walk tour might be their first time engaging with queer history or being visibly part of a rainbow community space. Gareth and Roger are keenly aware of this and strive to create a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment for everyone, regardless of identity or background.

They touch on the question of cost and explain why they’ve opted to keep their tours free. While they acknowledge that tours could be used as fundraisers or even commercial offerings, they highlight the potential complications—permits, insurance, payment systems, cancellations—and affirm the value of doing something voluntarily for the community.

Another crucial decision is whether to require registration or allow people to just turn up. Each approach has logistical and safety implications. Health and safety planning is vital, they stress, and many issues can be mitigated through clear communication during promotion. This includes noting the terrain, accessibility, tour length, and emotional content in advance.

Respectful storytelling is central to their approach. The hosts avoid asking intrusive questions and never assume the identities of participants. They believe in signposting sensitive or challenging content ahead of time so that participants can opt in or out of specific discussions. Disagreements are rare but possible, and they advise having strategies ready to handle conflict respectfully and keep the tour on track.

This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.

Gareth Watkins Roger Smith

2010s, 2020s, alison laurie, aotearoa new zealand, gareth watkins, hugh young, roger smith, walk tour, walking, walktours nz, wellington

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